Candle drip guard

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a drip guard for use with a candle made of flexible material such as aluminum foil which is cut into a fan shape. The drip guard may be formed into a cone or other shape by bending or folding the fan radially. The opening has slits and tabs that allow a candle to pass through while still holding the candle snugly within the opening. Once rolled or folded the flexible material is overlapped upon itself. Perforations may be provided in the flexible material to allow light from the candle to pass through. A canopy may be provided for the drip guard to shield the candle from weather.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. No.60/765,049 filed Feb. 3, 2006 and is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drip guards for candles, and moreparticularly relates to generally cone-shaped drip guards made of foil,paper or other flexible sheet materials.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Candlelight has been widely used for a number of purposes, includingspecial occasions. In some events, candles are held by hand. However,people holding the candles often experience uneasiness and evendiscomfort due to overflow of the melted candle wax. In addition, whenit is breezy, the candles must often be shielded by hand to preventpotential extinguishing of the flame, which can cause injury from theflame.

Currently, a circular disc of thick paper with a serrated hole thataccommodates the candle is used as a drip protector. However, such flatpaper discs are not sufficient to prevent dripping of the melted candlewax over the outer edge or through the serrated gaps onto the holder'shand. Also, they do not prevent blowing out of the candle flame, e.g.,on a windy day.

Another type of candle holder currently in use comprises a rigid plasticcup with either a cone-shaped lower handle in which the bottom of thecandle is seated, or a central hole through which the body of the candleis inserted. Such rigid candle holders are relatively expensive tomanufacture. Furthermore, large numbers of such holders can be bulky andheavy, making them difficult to transport, store and use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a drip protector for use with a candle.In one embodiment of the invention, a drip guard is made of a flexiblematerial, such as aluminum foil, which is cut into a fan shape. The dripguard is formed into a cone shape with by bending the fan shaperadially. An opening is provided in the bottom of the cone. The openinghas slits that allow a candle to pass through the opening while thecandle is snugly held within the opening of the drip protector. Oncerolled from a fan shape to a cone shape, the flexible material isoverlapped upon itself.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a drip guard for acandle comprising a flexible sheet of material rolled into a cone shapehaving a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the narrow end of the coneforms an opening positioned around and in contact with a candle andwherein the wide end projects outwardly and upwardly from the narrowend.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a drip guard for a candlecomprising a flexible sheet of material folded into a three-sidedpyramidal shape having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the narrowend of the pyramid forms an opening positioned around and in contactwith a candle and wherein the wide end projects outwardly and upwardlyfrom the narrow end; and at least one slit formed in the narrow end andopen at the narrow end.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a drip guard for a candlecomprising a flexible sheet of material rolled into a cone shape havinga narrow end and a wide end, wherein the narrow end of the cone forms anopening positioned around and in contact with a candle and wherein thewide end projects outwardly and upwardly from the narrow end, at leastone reinforcing flange comprising bent sections of the sheet of materialand wherein the bent sections project outwardly from the sheet ofmaterial when the sheet of material is rolled into a cone shape.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for making acandle drip guard for a candle comprising the steps of providing a flatsheet of fan shaped flexible material having a straight edge forming alongest length of the sheet, cutting an opening in sheet at the centerof the straight edge, starting with a half of the straight edge, rollingthe sheet until one half of the straight edge overlaps the other half ofthe straight edge to form two overlapping sections and wherein a conewith an opening at its base is formed connecting the overlappingsections together.

These and other aspects will be more apparent from the followingdescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a is a side view of a candle drip guard before being rolled intoa cone shape according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 b is a perspective view of the candle drip guard after the candledrip guard has been rolled and installed on a candle according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 a is a side view of a candle drip guard with decorativeperforations before being rolled into a pyramidal shape according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 b is a perspective view of the candle drip guard decorativeperforations after the candle drip guard has been folded and installedon a candle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 a is a side view of a candle drip guard with reinforcementsections before being rolled into a conical shape according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 b is a perspective view of the candle drip guard withreinforcement sections after the candle drip guard has been rolled andinstalled on a candle according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a canopy for use on the candle drip guardaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a canopy for use on the candle drip guardaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a candle drip guard with a canopyaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the candle dripguard 4 is made of flexible sheet material 10 such as aluminum foilwhich may be formed into a general cone shape with an opening at thebottom end 17. In order to accommodate the candle 2, the bottom end 17of the cone is removed to make a small opening 6 for passage of thecandle. The opening 6 is smaller than the diameter of the candle but theremoved end may be serrated, e.g., in three directions. At least oneslit 10 facilitates the passage of the candle 2 through the opening 6yet maintains a snug fit of the drip guard 4 around the body of thecandle 2. Tabs 7 make up the portions of the bottom end 17 between theslits 10. This prevents dripping of the melted candle wax through theopening 6 in the bottom end 17 of the candle 2 onto the hand of thecandle holder. Structural integrity of the drip guard 4 shape can bemaintained by reinforcement of the edge of the sheet by double foldingor the like.

In addition to a conical shape with a round base, other possible shapesof the drip guard 4 can be a triangular pyramid, a hexagonal cone or thelike. Thus, although one embodiment of the drip guard is a funnel orcone shape, it can be a triangular or other pyramid shape as well fromthe construction standpoint. The size of the drip guard 4 can be varieddepending on the size of the candle 2 to be used. For example, the guardmay be an aluminum cone with a 45 degree angle and a height of aboutfive inches. Such a size and shape may accommodate most commonly usedcandles 6.

The present drip guard 4 addresses the above-mentioned problems with asimple flexible sheet material product for handling the candle wax andprevents extinguishing of the candle flame. It prevents dripping of themelted candle wax on the hand and surrounding area. It preventspotential bodily injury from the candle flame. It helps to preventextinguishing the flame from breezes or wind. Since the device may beentirely made out of aluminum or another non-flammable material, itprevents or reduces the chance of fire hazard associated with candleflames.

As shown in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, a sheet of flexible material 10 such asaluminum foil is cut to a circular fan shape with a five inch radius,denoted by R in FIGS. 1 a, 2 a and 3 a, and four equally-sized sections8 of 45 degree division. The bottom center part is cut off, e.g., by0.25 inch, and 0.25 inch cuts are made in three directions along the 45degree lines as well as central line. These cuts facilitate the passageof the candle and provide a snug fit around the candle when it is used.

To enforce the integrity of the device, an additional 0.5 inchoverlapped fold 14 at the edge along the fan side can be provided. Thesheet may overlap at the upper end of each 45 degree section using anappropriate adhesive or simple compression with serrated metal plates.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b illustrate another embodiment of the present inventionsimilar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, except a pyramid with atriangular base is formed rather than a circular base.

Another embodiment of the invention is a hexagonal cone, as shown inFIGS. 3 a and 3 b. Six sections 12 of angle α, which may be 30 degrees,are provided and then reinforcing flanges 22 are made using bentsections 18 of angle β, which may be five degrees, on each side. Twoterminal five degree bent sections 18 are then used to form a cone. Whenformed into a cone the six sections 12 have angular measure of θ, whichmay be twenty degrees when α is thirty degrees.

When the flexible sheet of the drip guard 4 is aluminum foil or anothernon-transparent material, illumination is limited to the open top end16. To resolve this issue, multiple decorative perforations 20 can bemade in the sheet, e.g., on the top ⅔ portion, for example, as shown inFIGS. 2 a and 2 b. The bottom ⅓ may be provided without holes and may beused to catch melted candle wax. The two overlapped 45 degree sections 8may be faced toward the candle holder when the shield is used in orderto display the perforated design to others. Then it will not affect theillumination issue but will give additional protection to the candleholder.

The proposed decorative perforations 20 on the device can be letters andfigures utilizing multiple small holes. Thus the design and message canbe customized depend on the occasion for use of the device. The smallholes for the design in the device will not be significantly affected bybreezes or wind.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, for rainy orsnowy days, an additional small canopy 22 can be attached, for example,as shown in FIGS. 4-6. The canopy 22 may be made of non-flammable lightplastic material or metal such as tin or aluminum. The canopy 22 mayhave a diameter or width, shown as W in FIG. 5, of for example, 3.5inches. Basic components are the double forks 24, clip 26 and canopythat can be clipped onto the drip guard 4. The clip 26 may have alength, shown as L in FIG. 5, of for example, 1.5 inches. The doubleforks 24 may have a height, shown as H in FIG. 4, of for example 3inches.

Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been describedabove for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilledin the art that numerous variations of the details of the presentinvention may be made without departing from the invention.

1. A drip guard for a candle comprising: a flexible sheet of materialrolled into a cone shape having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein thenarrow end of the cone forms an opening positioned around and in contactwith a candle and wherein the wide end projects outwardly and upwardlyfrom the narrow end.
 2. A drip guard according to claim 1, furthercomprising at least one slit formed in the narrow end and open at thenarrow end.
 3. A drip guard according to claim 1, wherein the flexiblesheet of material is folded along the wide end to provide reinforcementof the drip guard.
 4. A drip guard according to claim 1, wherein theflexible sheet of material comprises four equally-sized sections andwherein a slit is placed between each section.
 5. A drip guard accordingto claim 4, wherein at least one of the sections has perforations formedin the wide end of the drip guard.
 6. A drip guard according to claim 1,further comprising a canopy, attached to and held upright by at least onfork, and a clip attached to the at least one fork and also attached tothe wide end of the drip guard.
 7. A drip guard according to claim 6,wherein the flexible sheet of material is aluminum foil.
 8. A drip guardaccording to claim 1, wherein the canopy, forks and the clip, are madefrom aluminum foil.
 9. A drip guard for a candle comprising: a flexiblesheet of material folded into a three-sided pyramidal shape having anarrow end and a wide end, wherein the narrow end of the pyramid formsan opening positioned around and in contact with a candle and whereinthe wide end projects outwardly and upwardly from the narrow end; and atleast one slit formed in the narrow end and open at the narrow end. 10.A drip guard according to claim 9, wherein the flexible sheet ofmaterial is folded along the wide end to provide reinforcement of thedrip guard.
 11. A drip guard according to claim 9, wherein the flexiblesheet of material is a semi-octagonal shape when not folded.
 12. A dripguard according to claim 11, wherein the flexible sheet of materialcomprises four equally-sized sections and wherein a slit is placedbetween each section.
 13. A drip guard according to claim 9, wherein theflexible sheet of material is aluminum foil.
 14. A drip guard accordingto claim 9, wherein at least one of the sections has perforations formedin the wide end of the drip guard.
 15. A drip guard according to claim9, further comprising a canopy, attached to and held upright by at leaston fork, and a clip attached to the at least one fork and also attachedto the wide end of the drip guard.
 16. A drip guard according to claim9, wherein the canopy, forks and the clip, are made from aluminum foil.17. A drip guard for a candle comprising: a flexible sheet of materialrolled into a cone shape having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein thenarrow end of the cone forms an opening positioned around and in contactwith a candle and wherein the wide end projects outwardly and upwardlyfrom the narrow end, at least one reinforcing flange comprising bentsections of the sheet of material wherein the bent sections projectoutwardly from the sheet of material when the sheet of material isrolled into a cone shape.
 18. A drip guard according to claim 17,wherein a reinforcing flange comprises three bends forming two bentsections, wherein the degrees of separation between two bends remainsconstant from the wide end to the narrow end.
 19. A drip guard accordingto claim 18, wherein each bent section represents five degrees of thedrip guard's circumference.
 20. A drip guard according to claim 18,further comprising six reinforcing flanges evenly spaced about the dripguard.
 21. A drip guard according to claim 17, wherein at least one ofthe sections has perforations formed in the wide end of the drip guard.22. A drip guard according to claim 17, further comprising a canopy,attached to and held upright by at least a fork, and a clip attached tothe at least one fork and also attached to the wide end of the dripguard.
 23. A drip guard according to claim 17, wherein the flexiblesheet of material is aluminum foil.
 24. A drip guard according to claim17, wherein the canopy, forks and the clip, are made from aluminum foil.25. A method for making a candle drip guard for a candle comprising thesteps of: providing a flat sheet of fan shaped flexible material havinga straight edge forming a longest length of the sheet, cutting anopening in sheet at the center of the straight edge, starting with ahalf of the straight edge, rolling the sheet until one half of thestraight edge overlaps the other half of the straight edge to form twooverlapping sections wherein a cone with an opening at its base isformed, connecting the overlapping sections together.
 26. The method ofclaim 25, wherein the sheet is folded so that a pyramidal shape isformed.
 27. The method of claim 25, wherein the sheet is folded so thata shape have greater that three flat sides is formed.
 28. The method ofclaim 25, wherein the sheet is aluminum.
 29. The method of claim 25,wherein the sheet is tin.
 30. The method of claim 25, wherein theoverlapping sections are connected using an adhesive.
 31. The method ofclaim 25, wherein the overlapping sections are connected using acompression of serrated metal plates.